What do you do if you want to leverage delegation for career growth?

Delegation is a powerful tool for professional growth and success. By delegating tasks effectively, people can focus on their strengths and prioritize their time for more important responsibilities. It also allows for the development of essential leadership and communication skills. However, it is important to delegate with intention and purpose, and always provide clear instructions and feedback to ensure successful outcomes. By using delegation, individuals can not only achieve their goals, but also build a strong and efficient team to support their professional growth.

One of my client into manufacturing business wanted to setup business on auto pilot mode. First we brainstormed why he wants to do that.. we concluded that he wanted to add 3 new business vertices in next 2 years. One of the obvious method was to master delegation skills. We deep dived into which are these 3 new vertices, did a SWOT of all 3 and set a clear documented plan for the same. Since the team size was 23 we realised that adding a second line of management was the first step.

Be clear about your goal Then bifurcate your main task, sub task and later allocate to right people. Monitor the process Have patience Trust the Devine

Determine which tasks can be delegated without compromising quality or efficiency. These are typically repetitive or low-priority tasks that don't require your unique skills or expertise. Assign tasks to individuals who have the skills and capacity to complete them successfully. Maintain open communication with your team to ensure that delegated tasks are progressing as planned. By effectively leveraging delegation, you can free up your time to focus on high-impact activities that contribute to your career growth and development.

Now that the second line of management had to be appointed, we then started listing down daily tasks of the management. Step two was to mark those which could be easily delegated - like preparing of invoices, follow up on pending payments, supervision of manufacturing tasks. Third step was to define the designation, job description and job profile. We used AI tools to do that. Once this was documented we were now to find the right candidate to delegate.

Now the next step was to post the jobs on job portals and get the right candidates for interviews. Since the job role, job profile and job description was clearly mentioned everywhere, we got a lot of "suitable" candidates for interview lined up. We had also designed a documented interview process. This helped in filtering the right candidates. The interview process included technical round, HR round and final discussion round. Based on each job role the questions and discussions were customised.

It so happened that some candidates had not gone through the job desciption in detail. We had embedded interviewer and interview going through the same in one of the rounds, especially the first round. This helped in clearly communicating what was expected. The second and third level of interview would revolve around the same documented job roles, skills needed, key performance indicators, trainings that will be provided. This massively helped in candidates and the company come to a common platform.

One of the myth the owners of this manufacturing business had was - that once they assign the task - inform the right team member - it should be done. Well, I shared my experience of how the circle of delegation works. I have realised that to effectively delegate a task these steps should be followed. 1. Define tasks 2. Communicate the same. 3. Define the reporting structure and frequency. If the project is large - set key milestones. 4. Supervise the same via daily, weekly, fortnightly meetings - on call or online or in-person 5. Mentor / do course corrections where requied 6. Appreciate once the task is completed.

To leverage delegation for career growth, identify tasks suitable for delegation based on strengths and workload. Communicate expectations clearly and provide support to those delegated tasks. Showcase leadership by empowering team members and fostering a collaborative environment. By strategically delegating tasks, you not only free up time for higher-priority activities but also demonstrate leadership capabilities, leading to career advancement opportunities.